Learning The Lingo
by KathrynD1993
Summary: F!Lavellan gives Josephine a lesson in Elvish. A small one-shot.


"Ma SEHR-ahn-ahs... _Ma serannas._" Josephine looked up from the scrap of paper she held to look at the Inquisitor."Did I say that right?"

The Inquisitor leaned on Josephine's work desk, her slender legs crossed and lithe arms stretched out wide for support behind her. Papers were strew all over its surface, some now of the floor since the Elf made it her perch for the Ambassador's so called 'lesson'. Thankfully most were hastily scrawled first drafts while a few were important letters but Josephine didn't care: she was in need of a break. The candles nearly burnt out that sat on the wooden desks corner told her that. The Elf looked at the Ambassador from beneath pale eyelashes with a sweet smile on her lips. "You said it perfectly."  
>Josephine chuckled, sitting down and shuffling in her chair. "I'm sure you are just saying that."<p>

The Elf shook her head, white strands of hair falling down in front of her face before she swept them back again. "No, it takes a skilled tongue to speak Elvish. Please, try another."

Josephine looked down at the scripture in her hand, all of the words and their definition were written neatly by the Inquisitor. "I'm afraid that will be the only one I say perfectly, Merwyn."  
>"Give yourself credit, Ambassador: many humans do not know any languages other than their own, and everything you say is said with perfect pronunciation."<br>The Inquisitor smiled warmly and Josephine felt the heat rush to her cheeks. "I wouldn't say knowing a few phrases is knowing a language."

"But you are learning, _ma vhenan_."

The twinkle in the Inquisitor's eye did not go unnoticed by Josephine. She looked down at the paper she held and noticed the words were missing. "What does that mean? It sounds beautiful."

Merwyn smiled warmly and sat up properly at the edge of the desk. The creases at the corners of her eyes betrayed her youthful appearence. The Elf swallowed and her large, luminous green eyes locked with Josephine's. "You say it and I will tell you."

Josephine watched the Elf's pink lips move as the spoke, she always seemed to be smiling, even with the chaos that surrounded them the Elf had unnatural optimism. "_Ma vhenan._" Josephine repeated softly.

Merwyn smile grew wider enough it nearly spend right across her cheeks and split her face. "Ambassador, I find myself rather embarrassed to tell you what it means." The Elf tucked a dark lock of hair behind Josephine's ear, brown eyes continued to stare into hers unwavering. "It means... My heart."  
>Josephine looked surprised and made as if to speak but was silenced with a finger pressing gently to her lips.<p>

The Elf's thin brows knotted together and for the first time Josephine had saw she frowned. She seemed coflicted and her voice caught in her throat when she spoke. "I... _Era seranna ma. _Josephine, Can you say something else for me? I understand if you do not feel the same but I would very much like to hear you say it. You will... Make it sound beautiful, and make it meaningful again."

Josephine could see an undeniable sadness in Merwyn's eyes, a great pain that was shadowed behind her happiness, but one that was always lingering. The Ambassador nodded slowly and Merwyn steadily took her finger away.

The Elf smiled weakly and swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat, "_Ma'arlath._"

Josephine's voice was quiet, she didn't know what she was about to say but she knew it held great significance, and that made her nervous. "_Ma'arlath._"

The Inquisitor's warm hand cupped Josephine's face tenderly, "_Ma serannas, ma vhenan._" Merwyn went to withdraw her hand with the intention to leave: she'd embarrassed herself enough for one evening, but Josephine gripped her wrist softly and held it in place.

Josephine's eyes searched the Inquisitor's, the woman could be evasive but she would not lie. "Tell me what it means."

Merwyn looked away and ran a hand through her hair, "Josephine... It doesn't matter what it means."

The Ambassador squeezed her hand and the Elf looked back at her, green orbs meeting brown, "You won't know if it matters or not until you tell me."

The Inquisitor pursed her lips together before giving a bob of her head. "It means I love you." Josephine stared at the Inquisitor wordlessly and the Elf squirmed beneath her gazed. "I am sorry. I should not have asked you to-" Merwyn was cut short with Josephine's lips capturing hers. The Ambassador cupped her face and kissed her tenderly, her ink covered hands losing themselves in the Elf's glossy white strands.

Arms snaked around Josephine's back and pulled her in close, but it wasn't close enough. Merwyn stood up and swiftly pulled the Ambassador to her feet. The Inquisitor's arms enclosed around the small of her back, this time pulling their bodies together and holding fiercely tight. Josephine's arm's looped around the Inquisitor's neck and she tilted her head into the kiss. Both of them were breathless but neither wanted to pull away.

"Ahem..."

They continued to kiss, Merwyn's desire taking over and her tongue eagerly flicking against Josephine's lips.

"Ahem."

The Ambassador greeted the new arrival enthusiastically. Their tongues began a slow dance-

"Josie!"  
>Both sets of eyes shot open and Merwyn and Josphine pulled away from each other, their cheeks flushed a deep red.<p>

They glanced to the side where Leliana stood looking rather amused. "I'm not usually one to interrupt such activities but the Dwarf is here about the securing Lyrium."

"Oh dear, has she been waiting long?" Josephine asked moving away from Merwyn and scrambling for her notepad.

"Long enough to send me."

The Elf swept her hair back again looking flustered. She shuffled awkwardly, "I'm sorry, Josephine. I should have not been so ignorant: I know you have a lot of work to do."  
>Josephine smiled showing the pearls of her teeth. "You can make it up to me by kissing me again."<p> 


End file.
